The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-24

very, very slowly. As soon as the dis
trict school opened, Giblets was made one
of the few little folks who composed the
attendance at the summer term. When
the pleasant young lady teacher went
through the first days customary initial
work-that of taking the names of the
scholars she reached him at last and he
promptly answered her question:
"Giblets, ms'sm."
"Well, is that all? What's your other
name?"
81 amt got none, missiles Giblets;
thet's all Their is tew hit"
Finding where the little fellow was liv-
ing and consulting with Farmer Langley
the teacher at last proposed new name
and the boy took up with the idea with
alscrity and "Giblets" passed into Albert
Smith.
Two years passed and the boy made
such marked advancement that it was
decided to send him to the high school in
town. The old man had been talking
with his sweet-faced old wife one day
and confded in her his plan to send Bert
through the high school and then to col
lege if he wanted to 60.
"He hain't any more fit ter be farm
or than am ter be parson, an the good
Lord knows I'm long way off from
preachin'," was the old mans epitome of
the matter.
1t was nearing Christmas time; the
day Of all days to childhood, youth and
age, would soon be present in its jour-
ney round the world. Bert had been
| in school in town since the winter term
opened and he had made the same mark
ed progress here that he had in the
country. This was to be his third Christ
mas-for before he came to live here he
had never had one. Mrs. Langley, from
her youth devoted Christian, had ex-
planned to the boy in sweet and SIM
pie way the beautiful story OF the day,
the day that comes to all with richer
freightage of meaning every year as the
seasons come and CO. Rare, beautiful
story of the Christ child, the strangest
and sweetest of all the ages!
The day before Christmas Bert was on
his way home from school when, near the
outskirts of the town he met man whom
he had slightly known in the city before
he gave up his backing exit" and his
paper selling. Bert knew Smithy to be
professional cracksman. There was q
mutual recognition and the conversation
began which opened our story. Smithy
saw that he was not going to make any
impression and took another tack.
"Of course, Giblets-beg pardon, I
can't remember your name as well as L
ought, of course me and Mike don't want
to do anything with your old man, il you
won't go into it. OF course you know
who we are and what our biz is-you
know we're in for the swag every time,
but SO long as you don't care to go in
and seem 80 dead set against it, why it
won't be go and we'll move on.
snow, Smithy, look here. know you.
I know that you and Mike know that Mr..
Langley is stubborn old man, one of
whose notions is that he won't deposit a
large sum Of money in bank and you
have told me that you know he has lot
on hand. Now, I'll give you till the next
train time three o'clock tomorrow
morning to get out of town, and if you
don't go then I'll have you arrested.
don't believe one word about your not
trying to attempt this robbery. I know
well enough you're trying to plan it all
out in your mind now; but it won't work,
Smithy, it won't work. You better leave
the place right away, Smithy-Ill peach
on you, as 1 used to say, il you don't.
Mr.. Langley and his wife have been the
best friends ever had and I am gong
to stand by the M
Smithy left, protesting to the last that
he wasn't going to make any attempt
to get the old mans money.
x Il X
It was Christmas morning before the
break o'dsy an hour or more, and Farm
or Langley was walking about the sit
tin room in towering rage.
"By the etarnal, Nancy, I'm done with
him. Yes, am for alPn good. Yer
needn't try ter plead for him, wife, it's
no use. An ter think nv all I've done
for him-oh wife, whar's yer Christianity
now? Why didn't it keep that boy
straight? Why, Nancy, I couldn't ha'
loved the boy more if he'd bin my own
flesh and blood. One mint it makes
my blood bile and I want to swar wuss
nor ever did afore; an the next mint
am in a sweatin' hurry to hev it come
daylight SOS kin go ter town an hev
him arrested. Then I'll think I'll let
him go-no won't do that but whatever
1 do may the curse of God Almighty fall
on his head. What il he did try ter
'scuse himself, Nancy. Didn't the detect
i've who came out from the city say that
he seed our boy tslkin' nth suspicious
character last night, and didn't ak Bert
bout it when Icsme home, an didn't he
admit it an try ter make out the fellow
was none NV his pals. An then later in
the evening when I went down town
again the detective said he was sartin
the stranger war one NV the wust crooks
in the city NV New York-an' what in
thunder nd our Bert be talkIn' alone nth